The Valley Ep 101 Welcome to the Jungle
by Musicgal777
Summary: Remember Summer's favorite tv show 'The Valley? It was a teen soap much like The O.C. This is that story.It starts out alot like The OC but there's so much more.So take a look at the start of the series.Reviews are very much wanted!
1. The Introduction of Hope

'**The Introduction of Hope'**

Carver Michaels lay in bed, his eyes open, fixed upon a spot on the ceiling above him. He didn't know what time it was. Time was irrelevant. He had wandered home in the dark of night and had fallen in bed with no real intention of going to sleep. What was the point of it anyway? He would open his eyes and see the same things. He would step out the door and life would be the same as it had always been. It would still be dark, no matter what time of day it was. He wasn't depressed though he sounded it. He had never been a bitter person. But now, more than ever, things seemed like they would never work themselves out. He had come to the conclusion that he was not meant for the life he had always wanted. He was not meant to have the good life you saw the people on television living. He was merely where he was and he had to deal with it. He was just a seventeen year old boy living in Fresno. His future was dim. And yet, he still carried around this hope that things could get better. Perhaps it was that his mother had always spoken of this hope for the future. She had kept this hope when Carver's father left them, strung out on drugs. She had kept it when Carver's sister, Natalie had left without a word at seventeen with her boyfriend, a known gang member and coke addict. She had even kept hope when she had been diagnosed with cancer. His mother had been the only person who loved him unconditionally and who had been always looking out for him. She made sure he stayed clean and in school. She pushed him away from crime. She gave him a vision of a better and brighter tomorrow.

But she was gone. Carver pushed her out of his mind. He didn't want to be angry and thinking about her made him angry. It had been about two months since she had died, not that he hadn't seen her grim future before then. The odds were against her. Not only did she not have enough money to get premium medical care, but she had been diagnosed with liver cancer that had been found too late to rid her body of. Carver had said goodbye to her all those months ago, but the death had still hit him. Even now, it hurt him and he figured it always would. The funeral had been simple. His mother had wanted it that way. Natalie had come back home for it, but his father was nowhere to be found. Not that Carver had expected him. He hadn't seen his father since he had left when Carver was twelve. Even before then their relationship had been shaky. Years of physical and emotional abuse had led Carver to hold an extreme hatred towards his father. And while his sister shared these views, she was willing to forgive the man if he would just show up so that she could. That wouldn't happen though. Darren Michaels was not a family man and the moment he walked out the door, he had walked out of Natalie and Carver's lives.

After his mother's death, Carver had gone to stay with the Nunezes, old family friends of the Michaels. They had lived down the street since Carver was born and Carver was grateful to them for all they'd done for him. But while he appreciated being taken in and cared for, he felt he couldn't intrude any longer. Ana Nunez had four children to care for and he didn't want to be the fifth. He hadn't told the family his plans though. He had kept his mouth shut at dinner and had not breathed a word of his plans for any of the family, even Jasmine Nunez, his closest friend in Fresno. He had already decided on leaving the home tomorrow night. His destination was unknown, but he didn't care. He would end up somewhere and he would do something. He would work odd jobs and he would survive. If there was one thing he was, it was a survivor.

Carver's body shot up as he heard a sound in the otherwise quiet surroundings. A car. He slowly rose from his bed and made his way to the window where he noticed a silver BMW pulling into the driveway. He watched as a man emerged from the car. Nicely dressed with short brown hair, the man was no resident of Fresno. Carver couldn't help but continue watching the man as he continued walking towards the front door of the Nunez house. He heard the door bell ring once, then twice, the man glancing up at the house, itself. Carver moved his body away from the window as if hiding from the man, though he knew he was not visible with his room unlit. Carver walked towards the door of the small room he stood in and cracked the door open, trying to keep the undisturbed silence. As he made his way out in the hall, he heard voices not too far away. Apparently Ana had already let the mysterious man in. Carver continued to follow the voices, his feet moving slowly as not to make enough noise to disturb the conversation.

"I called right after it happened. I didn't know you got my message."

"The phone has been down. I've been using my cell. I just got the message yesterday. I came right away."

Carver stopped as he approached the kitchen where the two adults stood. He turned his back to the wall beside the kitchen so he wouldn't be seen. His curiosity was too strong for him to disrupt the conversation. He peered into the kitchen so as to get a better look at the man. Though dressed casually, he still seemed overdressed. He appeared to be in his late thirties, only a few wrinkles lining his eyes. Ana offered him coffee, but he refused, his mind set on whatever he had come here to do.

"I wish I had been there for the funeral. God…the last time I heard her was three months ago. She didn't tell me that it was this bad," the man replied, shaking his head in despair. Ana looked up from her cup of coffee, her eyes meeting his.

"Everyone who knew Vanessa knew she didn't like to be pitied."

Carver was struck by the sudden mention of his mother. The name rang in his ears. He felt the pain again but suppressed it. He awaited the man's reply with anticipation. It was just anticipation of the unknown but it was so strong. It wasn't long until he got the response. "If I had known…I would've…been here for her. I can't believe she didn't tell me." Carver's interest in the man had grown in a matter of second, but he fought his hardest to keep quiet as the two continued to talk. They exchanged regrets about Carver's mother and small talk. Apparently the man's name was Aaron Needleman and he lived out in Sherman Oaks, which accounted for his expensive car and clothes, but the reason for the man's sudden journey to Fresno was still a mystery. Carver would've burst in and asked the question himself if it hadn't been answered right then and there.

"And Carver…?" Ana sighed, her eyes focused somewhere past where Aaron stood. "He's been staying here. I didn't think you would show up. I had planned on taking care of him," she answered, her voice lower than usual, almost as if she knew Carver was listening.

"I want to take him. It's what Vanessa wanted. Not just on record…she wanted him to be in a good home and I can give that to him," Aaron replied. His tone was strong with no conviction, but this fact flew past Carver. It didn't make any sense. A man he'd never met from Sherman Oaks wanted to take him in?

"You have to promise me. Promise me, you'll give him a good life. I love that boy like my son and I'm not going to just hand him over." Carver hadn't seen Ana this emotional since his mother's funeral. Her eyes were full of tears. She held on to the kitchen counter, almost as a way of holding herself up. It was clear Aaron could also see the pain her eyes as he inched closer to her so that his hands also touched the counter.

"I promise you, Ana. I will love that boy. I promise you he'll get a good life. He'll get what Vanessa wanted for him. I'll do everything I can to make sure of that. I promise."

Aaron reached across the counter to touch Ana's hand and her head fell. The two continued to talk, but the details were lost on Carver. He had always hoped for a change, a future, an escape and here it was. It had walked through his front door at 6 am out of nowhere. For the first time in months, there was glimmer of hope, right there in front of Carver. And Carver swore his mother was there too. He swore she was telling him this was it. He swore he could hear her telling him everything was going to be alright now.

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	2. Welcome to Sherman Oaks

'**Welcome to Sherman Oaks'**

With his head leaning up against the window, Carver watched as his former life passed him by. He could feel Aaron looking over at him, stealing glances while he drove. Carver had stayed silent for most of his talk with Aaron and Ana. It was understandable that Aaron didn't know what to say to him. The talk had answered all his questions. Aaron Needleman had once lived in Fresno a long time ago when his mother moved him there after a messy divorce where she had lost a lot of money and time. He had grown up three blocks away from Carver's mother and the two had become fast friends, sharing a deep bond that no one could break. Both had had dreams of a bright future. Both had wanted more than Fresno. They had planned to leave right after high school when she met Darren and fell in love. She changed their plans just like that and Aaron left town. He found his way to Sherman Oaks where he started a life of his own. It was only after Darren had left that Carver's mother contacted him and they met up to catch up. He tried to help her financially but she wouldn't take his money. She just wanted to know he'd be there for her and her children. And that was why she had left Carver to Aaron. She had wanted a better life for him that she knew Aaron could and would provide. Carver almost couldn't believe the story. It was like he almost couldn't process the information he was given. The goodbyes earlier that morning had been like a flash…like a dream. Even now, leaving Fresno, he didn't quite believe this was reality.

"You ever been to Sherman Oaks?"

Carver looked over to Aaron as he finally spoke. It was clear he was nervous. He gripped the steering wheel tightly. There was a silence for a moment before Carver finally spoke: "No. I heard about it from some people." Aaron nodded, content with the answer. The silence continued until Aaron could get the courage to ask enough question.

"It's really beautiful. I mean don't let the expensive houses and giant swimming pools fool you, we have our problems too, but it's really…paradise."

Carver nodded, offering a smile to the nervous man who sat beside him. Apparently the smile had comforted Aaron because he continued. "When I first came to Sherman Oaks from here, I was just blown away. It's like a completely different world. I don't even know to describe it. But you'll like it. Of course you'll like it." Carver didn't respond this time. His mind was elsewhere.

"You mom loved it when she came. I think she wished she'd ended up there."

The sudden mention of his mother, made Carver slip back into reality. "When did she go?" he questioned.

"We always met there. I don't think she wanted me to come back to Fresno. I haven't been back there in ages…I mean before today."

Carver wondered why his mother had never mentioned the visits. He had always thought she told him everything. There were no secrets between them. But obviously he had been wrong. The only thing is he didn't understand why. Looking at Aaron, he felt comforted though. For once, he felt at ease and he figured that the only right thing to do was to make conversation. "So…what do you do there?"

"I'm a lawyer. Defense attorney actually. Not the most glamorous job in the world, but my wife's the glamorous one," Aaron replied, welcoming the sudden conversation. The boy next to seemed quiet to say the least, but not in a bad way. He seemed deep in thought and that, Aaron didn't have a problem with.

"Your wife…"

"Editor in chief of 'Bliss' Magazine. I told you. Glamorous."

Carver smiled slightly. Tales of a normal happy family were new to him. But then again, this whole thing was new to him. Aaron seemed more relaxed now after their short conversation and leaned back in the driver's seat a bit.

"So your mother told me you liked art?"

"Just a hobby."

Aaron smiled. "Your mom also told me you were humble." He watched as Carver looked away. It was striking the way the boy looked like his mother. It was just the little things. The way he looked back at Aaron or the way he spoke. It was clear Carver was nothing like Darren and Aaron, for one, appreciated that.

"I like it…I don't know how good I am."

"Maybe you can turn my son into an artist. He's sixteen too and he's got his heart set on being a filmmaker. Afraid he'll go mainstream."

The word son had surprised Carver. Not that he was surprised that Aaron had a son, but that it had taken this long for him to mention the boy. Carver suddenly felt like he was imposing on a family. And that he didn't want. He had already imposed on the Nunezes. "Son?" he questioned, looking away.

"Yep. Two of them actually. Cameron and Jake. Cam is eighteen and Jake is the mini Steven Spielberg. But don't tell him I told you that, ok?" Aaron replied with a short laugh. Carver was only half listening. He had one been lost in his own thoughts, but his attention had been caught by the sign announcing their arrival in Sherman Oaks. It was sudden blast of perfection. Beaches, country clubs, bikini clad girl. Carver had never seen anything like it before. Aaron picked up on this and laughed again.

"Told you you'd like it."

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	3. The New Addition

**The New Addition**

As Aaron pulled the car into the driveway, Carver studied the house before them. It was pure white with a pool on the side. It was by far the biggest place Carver had ever seen. The house seemed so perfect in its own way. The boy couldn't help but be stunned. Aaron's gaze landed on Carver, the boy's face full of excitement…or shock. Aaron couldn't exactly tell the two apart. Seeing the boy's face light up reminded him of the feelings he, himself, had once experienced when he came to Sherman Oaks for the first time so many years ago. He knew that expression all too well. And yet though the memory contented him, his mind was full of worry and his wife.

"Why don't you just head over to the pool house over there with your stuff? You can check it out, get settled. I just have to check on the glamour queen," he told Carver with a comforting smile. The boy nodded and opened the door of the BMW, picking up the bag that had been at his feet and looking back at Aaron. The two shared a smile before they separated, Carver heading towards the pool house while Aaron made his way to the main house to face what he only predicted was an insanely annoyed beautiful wife. The moment he opened the door, he got what was coming.

"I can not believe you."

Before him stood the angry wife, Kristina Needleman, the epydimey of all that was the perfect Sherman Oaks woman. Tall red headed and graceful, it had been love at first sight for Aaron when he had seen her at his first Sherman Oaks charity event. He had spotted her across the room in an elegant white cocktail dress and he knew at that moment she would be his wife. Though mismatched, the two had been together for what seemed like forever though their twentieth anniversary wasn't till next year.

"Honey, I'm home," he replied with a small smile as his wife stood by the doorway with what could only be described as an angry look on her face.

"Please tell me you didn't bring him home," Kristina replied as the door closed behind Aaron.

"I wish I could, but I did. I sent him over to the pool house."

Aaron walked past his smoldering wife towards the kitchen, in need of some good coffee. But not enough a nice cup of joe could protect him from the yelling he had coming. He knew, but the best thing to do was to stay calm around the cranky wife.

"I can not believe you did that. Jesus Christ, Aaron. We didn't even finish talking about it," Christina said, raising her voice as she followed her husband into their beautifully decorated kitchen. She had renovated it last year, in need of a good summer project. It had turned out beautiful, right out of Martha Stewart, but her family still preferred Sing's to her creations, though Christina thought she was a pretty good cook. Aaron stopped by the kitchen counter, pouring himself a cup of coffee and turning to face his wife.

"We weren't going to come to compromise, hun. I knew you and you knew it too. And this was something I had to do. I told you that right off the bat."

Aaron's words made Kristina even madder. As much as she loved the man who stood before her, he had a habit of getting into things without thinking about them. And this was definitely case number twenty one. "We can't take care of a sixteen year old boy, Aaron. We can't be his parents. We already have two sons to worry about and we can't take on another," she replied, shaking her head in frustration. She was all for helping kids in need but raising them was something else. She couldn't raise this boy. She couldn't raise a third son.

"But I need to. I promised Vanessa. I'm not going back on my promise. And until you accept that, we're right back where we started."

Aaron shrugged his shoulders and took a sip of his coffee, sending Kristina into a rage. "Just think about this. Raising your ex-girlfriend's teenage son? This is insane. This is beyond insane. I don't even know what to say to you. You are out of your mind," she yelled back at him. Surprisingly, it was these words which finally got through to Aaron. He looked her straight in the eye, nothing but seriousness in his eyes.

"I'm doing this. I'd love you support, but if I can't get it, I'm still doing it. It's not about raising him. It's a promise I made and it's one I'm not going back on." With that, Aaron left his wife standing in the kitchen, alone and unsure of what to say. Her gaze remained on the spot that Aaron had stood at for a moment. Nothing she could say would change the situation. Aaron was set on raising this boy, Carver Michaels, and Kristina knew how stubborn her husband was. And that was that. The boy would be their own and Kristina would have to learn to deal with it. The powerless feeling in her bones was not a new one but not frequent to say the least. This boy would be her responsibility and honestly, she didn't think she could handle it. From all that Aaron had told her, the boy had been through a lot, so much that Kristina didn't know how to handle him. Did he need a mother? A guardian? A friend? She was pulled out of her own thoughts and fears by a familiar voice.

"Mom…what's going on?"

Kristina turned to see her younger son, Jake, standing in the doorway where only minutes before his father had walked through. There her son stood, video camera in hand, looking down on her, concerned. She smiled up at her boy. I was going to be long road ahead.

"We're going to have a new addition to the family."

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	4. Butch Cassidy and the Fresno Kid

**Butch Cassidy and the Fresno Kid**

Lying on the bed in the pool house, Carver looked up at the ceiling. In twenty four hours, he had gone from a dead end future in Fresno to living in the pool house to a mansion in Sherman Oaks. It was too much. The pool house was amazing. It was like a little apartment, complete with a fridge, treadmill, working whirlpool tub, and a big screen tv. Carver was afraid to close his eyes. Knowing his luck when he opened them, it would all be gone. For now, he was content at staring at the ceiling. Aaron had stopped by a few minutes ago and given him a run of the place. He said his wife would come by to say hello soon and that his sons would probably see Carver in the morning. Carver didn't know what to think of this insta-family. As he began to study the ceiling fan above him, he heard the door creak open and his instincts kicked in, his body shooting up. Before him stood a gangly tall boy around his age. With straight ark brown hair, the boy was a spitting image of Aaron, though the cuffed jeans and 'Chinatown' t-shirt gave him a fairly different image. The boy stared at Carver for a moment before offering a smile.

"So you're the mail order kid we sent out for."

Carver wrinkled his brow, confused at the boy's comment, but before he could question it, the boy continued. "Yeah…uh…witty quips are my downfall. I'm Jake." Carver nodded, remembering Aaron's comment about his son. This was the next Spielberg or something like that. "Carver," he replied, returning the boy's small smile. The two went into silence for a moment, but Jake didn't let it last long. He walked past Carver with a relaxed smirk on his face.

"Dude, this place is better than my room. Fridge, big screen tv? Congrats. You're the new favorite child. By Thursday, I'll probably be living in the garage."

"It's nice of your parents to let me stay here," Carver replied, turning his head to follow Jake as he scurried around the pool house, admiring Carver's new digs.

"I heard you're from Fresno."

"Born and raised."

"Cool. I've always wanted to go there," Jake replied with a beaming smile. Carver couldn't help but let out a laugh. The sound of it shocked him. He couldn't remember the last time he'd laughed. Jake eyed him curiously, awaiting a response. "Sorry…but you really don't want to go there. Not a fun place."

"So what'd you think of the Valley so far?" Jake asked, sitting down in the bean bag by the side of Carver's bed. It shocked Carver how open the kid was. It was like they'd been talking forever. Jake didn't hold anything back.

"The Valley?"

"Sherman. Every place has to have it's own nickname. I'm sure Fresno had one."

Carver laughed to himself and looked over to Jake. "Yeah…Death Row," he responded, leaning his head on his hand. Jake nodded slowly.

"How charming."

"Uh…it's nice. Beaches, girls, looks a whole lot better than home."

Jake's smile turned into a grin and he shook his head, rising from the bean bag he had been sitting on. "Yeah well every town has a dark side. Sherman's no different," he told Carver, pausing a moment before adding, "But I'm kind of the outsider so I wouldn't really know about the dark side. Not exactly the party boy. If you want the VIP scene, my brother Cam will probably be your savior."

Cam. Yeah, Aaron had told Carver about his older son, Cameron. Apparently he was the party guy of the two. But Carver didn't have a great desire to check out the party scene. He had never been that type of guy which led him to believe he wouldn't fit in here in Sherman Oaks. Carver had always been a loner in his own right. Even back in Fresno. He never really fit in anywhere, but he had learned to live with it. "I had enough parties back home," he told Jake, who beamed, happily.

"So what? You're an outsider too? Obviously a lot cooler and 'Boyz in the Hood' than me, but still an outsider?"

Carver considered the words for a moment. Obviously the word 'outsider' meant different things in the Valley and back home seeing as he and Jake seemed nothing alike. Yet the fact that they both didn't fit in made Carver feel instantly more at home, though he reminded himself this place wasn't his home. "I guess," he replied with a shrug.

"You're my Sundance kid." Carver opened his mouth to question the boy's words but was met with a quick response. "I don't suppose you've ever seen a little classic they called 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." Carver shook his head and Jake smirked.

"Well, let me tell you, Fresno, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

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	5. Valley Girl

**Valley Girl**

Carver walked through the main house, trying not to linger in one room too long. He had spent the last hour or two with Jake, learning about the place that was Sherman Oaks. If there was one thing you could call Jake, it was a talkaholic. The boy hadn't stopped talking since they had met. But Carver didn't find it a negative quality. It made up for the fact that Carver liked to stay somewhat quiet. Jake had told him all about the town from the 'Valley Girls' to their mothers who the Needlemans had nicknamed the Vallians. Carver had listened intently as Jake rambled on though it seemed to him that there weren't many people Jake actually hung out with. The only person he seemed to hang out with was a girl named Sunny Bishop who was in Jake's words 'the complete opposite of every girl in the Valley'. He had also compared her to someone named 'Annie Hall' but Carver wasn't too great on the movie references. Apparently, the two had known each other since they were in diapers but hadn't gone to school together until last year when Sunny, who unlike Jake did not live in a mansion, had gotten into Jake's private high school on academic scholarship.

Jake probably wouldn't have left Carver if it hadn't been for an ebay auction he had to win for one of the twenty remaining copies of some Japanese horror flick made in the 60's. The boy really was a film geek, but Carver thought it was nice that he had a dream. He wanted to be something and he knew exactly what that was. It was admirable. So while Jake was cooped up in his room in front of the computer trying to win his foreign flick, Carver had decided to go out for a smoke and in the process explore the Needleman's house. He was by no means a smoker, but he had gotten into the habit of doing it when he was stressed or uncomfortable and that definitely applied to today.

As he wandered closer to the front door, he entered the kitchen where he was in for a surprise. A thin red headed woman sat at the table, her head turning when she heard Carver's footsteps. Carver guessed it was Aaron's wife. He stopped in his tracks, unsure of what to say. Kristina studied Carver for a moment. The boy looked unlike her own sons as he wore a brown hoodie, a plain blue t-shirt, ripped blue jeans and had messy dark brown hair. In her mind she had expected something more, but here she was faced with the boy she had not wanted and she felt bad. He was just a sixteen year old kid. "I'm Kristina." She tried to muster up a smile but couldn't quite manage that though her comment came out sounding relatively friendly. He nodded, not meeting her eyes and replied that it was nice to meet her.

"Did you see the linens I set out on your bed?"

"Yeah. Thanks."

Kristina couldn't stand the sound of her voice. She sounded anything but nice. It was wrong of her to let out her anger at her husband on the boy and she knew that. "Welcome to the family," she finally replied rising from the kitchen table. There was nothing more she could say until tomorrow. If she spoke more to Carver, she would end up leaving him with the impression that she hated him and that was the last thing she wanted. So she walked. She walked right past him, silently, not saying another word and leaving the boy alone in the spacious kitchen.

Carver didn't turn his head to watch the older woman walk out. It was clear she didn't want him here and there wasn't much he could say. He didn't want to intrude on her or Aaron. His first instinct was just to leave, but he couldn't. His mother had done everything she could to make sure he would get this life and he wouldn't let her down and just run away from it. He would stay. For a moment, he stood by himself in the middle of the empty kitchen, unsure of what to do next. The peace and quiet was welcomed but it let him alone with his thoughts and so he continued outside, opening the door and letting the cool air hit his face. It was refreshing and crisp. His feet led up down the driveway where he sat down on the garbage can at the end of the driveway. Looking down on the valley, he felt right for a moment. Maybe it was just a moment but it was moment that was nothing but perfection. Looking out at the view, he felt the sorrow and tragedy run out of his bones. He lit up with the cigarette from his pocket and watched the smoke fly into the air. For that simple minute, the world was just him, sitting on a garbage can in Sherman Oaks, feeling no more pain.

In the distance, he saw a shiny black Hummer stop on the road leading to the Needleman's house. Even though he was a whiles away, he could hear the laughter of teenagers. Out of the car appeared a guy and girl. They continued to walk along the road, the boy with his arm around the petite skinny girl. Carver peered down the road and soon they came close enough to see him. The boy seemed confused. Carver could see him better now and there was no doubt that he was Jake's older brother. The two shared similar features though the boy before him was taller, more built, and better looking. The boy picked up his pace more, leaving to the girl to follow behind.

"Hey what the hell are you doing outside of my house, kid!" he yelled as he approached. Carver slowly jumped off of the garbage can, the ciggarette still in his hand. He didn't reply at first, his eyes landing on the girl, who he could now tell had blonde straight hair and shining blue eyes.

"I asked you a question, you little punk. This is private property. You the yard boy from next door?"

"Cameron," the girl said as she finally caught up with him. Before the boy could come any closer to Carver, a voice from behind the three saved the day.

"Looks like you've already met our new pseudo brother."

Carver turned to see Jake roll down the driveway hill on his skateboard. He stopped next to Carver and gave him a small smile. "By the way, I won the Japanese thriller. Cost me a fourth of my bar mitzvah money, but I am now the proud owner of a film relic," he added to Carver before looking back to his brother. The confusion in the boy's eyes was evident.

"What are you talking about, Jake?"

"Pseudo brother. Long story having to do with Fresno and a will. But this here is Carver Michaels turned Needleman…or I guess that's only if we actually adopt him."

Carver couldn't help but smile. Jake was playing off the situation like it was nothing. Carver appreciated it though Cameron didn't seem any more pleased than he had before. Before he could say anything else, Jake intruded again.

"Well, you better get in and check it over with the parental units. What did mom say? One more curfew and you'd be the family Cinderella?"

Cameron shook in his, obviously annoyed at his younger brother and kissed the top of the girl's head before walking past Carver and Jake towards the house. Jake looked triumphant replying to Carver, "Told you I had your back." Carver's eyes were on the girl though. She had stayed quiet for awhile but now she eyed the two boys, questioningly.

"So what? You're new here?" she asked. She was a pretty girl, unlike most of the girls back home. She reminded Carver of a celebrity, like one of the girls he'd seen on tv.

"He got here this morning. Just like the website said. Kid from Fresno in three days or less," Jake replied with a smirk. The girl shook her head and let out a little laugh. Carver still had the desire to say something to her, but he wasn't sure what.

"I live next door. Lauren James," she told him, pushing a piece of her blonde hair behind her ear. It was simple action but even that seemed to be beautiful. Carver wondered if all the girls in Sherman Oaks were like her.

"Carver…Carver Michaels."

She laughed. It was a sweet laughter. Everything this girl did seemed to be flirtatious in some way, but Carver didn't mind it in the least. "It's nice to meet you, Carver Carver Michaels," she said sweetly , her smirk forming under her lips. Jake looked between them. How come every guy seemed to fall for Lauren James? Jake sighed, slightly shaking his head.

"Ok well bye bye James…we should probably be going, right Carver?"

Jake felt slightly ignored as the two still had their eyes on each other. Lauren reached into her Kate Spade pick purse and pulled out a piece of paper before looking at the two boys in front of her. "Why don't you stop by here tomorrow night. My friends are throwing me a surprise birthday party. But consider it you're welcome party," she replied as she held out the paper. Carver reached out to take it, their hands meeting for a moment. Jake rolled his eyes.

"You know, usually surprise parties are a surprise. That's why they're called surprise parties," Jake replied with fake smile. Lauren shot him a glance and he shrugged, looking back at Carver who opened his mouth to respond.

"That's great. We'll see about that. Now so long…have a good night. Don't you have something called a curfew?"

Again Jake had responded before Carver could say anything. Lauren stepped away from them though the two boys stood still. "I'll look for you," she replied, giving him one last look before turning her head and walking away. He watched her go. Part of him knew she was just having fun. Part of him didn't care. As she disappeared, Jake turning Carver towards the house and shook his head.

"Don't think what you're thinking," he told Carver as the two began to walk back to the house, Jake with his skateboard in hand.

"What?"

"She is a total off limits girl. I mean besides the fact that she's my brother's girlfriend and a total flirt, she's a party girl, doesn't care about anything or anyone. As your Butch Cassidy, I feel I have the duty to protect you," Jake replied. The words went in one ear and out the other though. You couldn't help but be intrigued by a girl like Lauren no matter how bad it would all turn out.

"So I guess I should just throw this out?" Carver said as he prepared to rip up the party invitation. Before he could make a move, Jake snatched it from him in a split second.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"I thought you didn't want to go to the party?"

Jake eyed the invitation and slipped into his jeans pocket with a hidden smile. "You just got invited to Lauren James's birthday party. There's no way we're not going to that party. I don't care how much of an outsider you are." With that, the two boys disappeared into the house, Carver feeling suddenly more excited about this whole new future.

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That's all for now. I'm writing up the next parts of the chapter now and it will include Lauren's birthday party, the introduction of Autumn Matthews(The Summer Character), her closeted gay brother, the James who live next door, and maybe even Sunny Bishop. More drama is to come.

Please help me by commented on the story and in what way you want it to go. I don't know how much I'm going to keep the same as The O.C. as far as couples go. And beware, Lauren is really nothing like Marissa! Also, question for anyone who reads this, would a kind of bantering/future romance seem cool with Lauren and Jake or not?


	6. Happy Birthday

**Happy Birthday**

Lauren lay on her side in her princess canopy bed studying the clock on her bedside table. In exactly ten minutes she would be one year older. Whoopee. It wasn't that she wasn't excited for her birthday. It was just that she really wasn't looking forward to the day. She was crazy though. Her birthday would be spent hanging out with her boyfriend, then going on a shopping spree with her mother, and then going off to her surprise birthday party where she would spend the rest of the night drinking, dancing, and passing out. What was more fun than that, right? Sometimes it felt like the same thing over and over though. It never changed. It's not like she was some withdrawn depressed chick. She didn't know how to change things. If she did, she would. She wasn't the type of girl to sit back and watch things go by. Yet her life was flying by and she literally couldn't tell one day from the other.

Lauren watched as 10:29 changed to 10:30. She had been up since 8:00, but she hadn't dared move from her bed. She had been laying there thinking about things and watching her clock. The thought depressed her. God, she was pathetic. She had better things to do with her time, right? She could be picking up what to wear for tonight or out at the beach with her best friend, Autumn. But at the moment she had no desire to do either of those things. All she wanted to do was sit in her bed for the rest of the day and think about how screwed up things were. The girl grumbled pulled her baby blue cotton sheets over her head.

"Laur! Are you up?"

The sudden arrival of her mother's voice made Lauren come out from underneath the sheets once more. She had the desire to say no, but she knew her mother would come in anyway. That was her mother, Georgie James, nosy mother who wouldn't leave Lauren alone for a minute. She sat up in bed, letting her sheets fall down to her lap. "Yeah, Mom. I'm up," she tried to shout back though it was more like a pathetic attempt at a shout. Her mother opened the door suddenly, standing in the doorway perfectly dressed and ready like every other day of Lauren's life. Her mother was perfect. She had perfect blonde straight hair. She had the perfect figure and perfect insured teeth and perfect Juicy lip glossed lips and perfect flawless skin. Sometimes Lauren wished her mother was less perfect so the expectations on her would be lessened.

"Happy birthday, honey!"

Lauren offered a weak smile to her mother. She was technically five minutes early, but Lauren wouldn't mention that. Her mother's greeting would've been perfect if that was all she said. But that never happened. She always had more to say to Lauren than just the typical nice mother things. Lauren expected nothing less. Georgie walked across the room towards the windows and opened the curtains, letting in the bright sunlight to which Lauren shielded her eyes. "Why don't you get up and get ready? Big day, right? Aren't you meeting Cameron in a half hour? What are you doing lying in bed?" she replied with a smile. Lauren sighed and pushed her sheets away from her legs. There it was. There was her mother. The mother she knew never just said 'Happy Birthday'. It was always something more.

"I'm getting up, Mom, ok? Can you just…leave..please."

Georgie turned to her daughter as the skinny girl slipped out from underneath her sheets. The two had an interesting relationship. Though everyone thought theirs was the greatest mother-daughter story since Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, the truth was never that wonderful. Georgie had expected a wonderful relationship with Lauren when she first became a single mother. She raised the little girl on her own. She took more than half of her sorry excuse for a husband's money and she gave her daughter a good life, a life that most girls would kill for. Yet Lauren never seemed to be satisfied with it. Georgie could tell. Years of suffering through a dead marriage with her former husband had taught her how to spot the signs of hidden unhappiness and she could easily spot Lauren's. Of course she never said anything about it. She convinced herself it was a phase. All teenagers went through that phase and Lauren was a teenager. But the phase had turned into a great many years. Though on the outside her daughter seemed to be the perfect Sherman Oaks mini socialite, her heart wasn't in it. Georgie didn't know what to make out of it.

"If I leave you're just going to go back to sleep."

Lauren hid her frustration and stood up from her bed, her floppy sleep shirt falling to her knees. She looked over at her mother who had finished opening the curtains. "Mom. I'm up, ok? I'm standing. Can you just leave?" she said, not a smile on her face. Georgie studied her daughter who stood before her. The girl smiled quite a lot, but never behind closed doors. It hurt her, but she didn't know what she could say.

"Fine, fine. I'll let you get dressed. You know what? Why don't you wear the Chanel dress we picked up last week, ok? The white one with the flowers. That is just gorgeous on you, honey," Georgie replied as she walked towards the door.

Lauren nodded her head though her eyes went back to her digital clock. Georgie stopped in the doorway and turned once more to look at her daughter. "And remember, after Cameron takes you out, we have shopping date at 3, ok?" Lauren nodded once more and Georgie disappeared down the hall while Lauren's eyes remained on the clock. 10:39. Lauren looked around her empty room. There was no one there. Only her. Only the birthday girl. She remained silent before uttering the words she had been waiting two and half hours to say.

"Happy Birthday."

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	7. Breakfast at the Needleman's

**Breakfast at the Needleman's**

"See, that's why we're having this little brush up chat about curfew, guys."

"Look, I just lost track of time."

"And I don't even track time! There's no way I'm getting punished because he was out with Valleians."

"Oh yeah, rag on me 'cause you don't have a life of your own, dork."

"C'mon on, boys…this is already set. One hour earlier curfew."

Carver could hear the sounds of various Needleman family members' voices as he approached the kitchen. For the first time in awhile he had had a good night sleep. Maybe because of the two hundred thread count sheets he was sleeping on. He had found himself up late though he was already dressed. It didn't take him long to get ready. He had never had much to get ready in. Sweatshirt, jeans, he was on his way. He slowly entered the kitchen to find all three Needleman men looking up at him. He stopped in his tracks for a moment, feeling like he had been caught though he'd done nothing at all. Aaron was the first to speak.

"Morning. How'd you sleep?"

Carver smiled slightly, replying at once, "Good. Really good." Aaron gave him a sly smile and beckoned him to come towards the dining table where Cameron and Jake were already sitting. Jake gave him a friendly smile while Cameron avoided his glance.

"See, father of mine, we need this extra hour or two because we're going to Lauren James's birthday party. See, it's an introduction to Sherman Oaks for Carver here and everyone knows the party doesn't really start until ten," Jake chimed in with an earnest look to his father.

"You're going to crash Lauren's party?" Cameron questioned.

"No. We're guests. See, there's this thing called an invitation. Someone gives it to you and you're welcome to come to the party."

Aaron kept his eyes on Carver as his sons argued. They had always been that way. It was a Needleman trait, the arguing that is. Despite the constant arguing and sarcasm, the Needleman were a pretty close family and Aaron knew that was extremely true. He pulled out a seat for Carver and Carver slowly sat down. "One extra hour. That's it. And no breaking curfew," he replied finally to his sons who both smiled to themselves. He leaned his elbow on the table and took a sip of his coffee which was getting colder by the second. Sneaking a glance at his watch, he realized he had to get going soon.

"Hey, why don't you guys show Carver around town today? Maybe head down to the beach? You a surfer, Carver?" Aaron asked the boy as he rose from his seat and brought his coffee cup over to the sink.

"Uh…no…surfing's not exactly a big thing in Fresno."

Aaron nodded and washed his cup out quickly before turning the sink off. "Hey, Dad, did you know they actually call Fresno 'Death Row'?" Jake added in with a look over at Carver and shook his head. Cameron ignored the comment only replying that he was taking Lauren out today. Aaron noticed that Cameron didn't exactly seem to be warming up to Carver, but he shrugged it off. Jake was already treating the boy like his partner in crime and that made Aaron more than happy.

"If you like records, I can take you to this little place down on the pier where they have these really old copies of hard to get ones. Once got my mom an autographed Go Go's album," Jake said, looking over at Carver. Jake's comment reminded Aaron of his wife who was none to thrilled about the family's new development. She hadn't talked to him all night and she'd even left early this morning. It wasn't a good sign. Aaron just had to keep hoping she'd warm up to Carver. He didn't want the family divided. The kid had just lost his mom, he didn't need to wonder if he was welcome or not in the Needleman's home.

"Yeah, pick me up a copy of that band you told me about. What was it? Septembers?"

Jake rolled his eyes and shook his head, exchanging a look with Carver who was as oblivious to the indie music scene as he was to the indie film scene. "Decemberists, Dad. And no, I'm not going to do that. We have to draw the line at father and son. No listening to the same music. It freaks me out," Jake replied as Aaron grabbed his suitcase. The footsteps of another disturbed all four men. Before them stood Lauren James, looking perfect in a white sundress with strappy sandals. Carver met her glance and she smiled slightly.

"Hey."

Aaron smiled to the girl. He had known her since Georgie moved next door to the Needlemans when Lauren was seven. She was a sweet girl and both Aaron and Kristina had approved when Cameron had started dating her last year. You couldn't ask for a better girlfriend for your son. "Hey there, Lauren. Happy birthday by the way. Seems like you have my whole household as guests," he responded with a smirk. She laughed slightly, her eyes landing on Carver but only for a split second. So he had decided to come. She felt instantly more confident. She always did when guys were interested in her. Cameron shot his father a look when he mentioned the word 'guests'. Apparently his father didn't understand the concept of a surprise party. But Lauren didn't seem to notice the comment as she didn't say anything else about it.

"Thanks Mr. Needleman," she replied as Aaron scurried around the hall, grabbing a few papers he needed for before he left for the office. "Well then, I should probably get going. I'm already five minutes late. So I'll see you boys later…and remember what we uh, talked about, ok?" Aaron announced as he shot his two sons serious glances. The two boys nodded and he headed towards the front door. Cameron was next to rise from the kitchen table, walking towards Lauren who stood by the kitchen counter and dropping off his plate on the way. He kissed the top of her head and quietly spoke to her so the others in the room could barely hear him. "Hey, why don't you go wait in the car. I gotta get something before we leave." Lauren's face lit her, her eyes shining back at him.

"Ooh. What could it be? Possibly a birthday present for me?" she replied with a cheeky grin on her face. It was what Cameron had always loved about her. Yes, even though they had only been going out for a little less than a year, Cameron had always had some sort of thing for her. That wasn't to say he had been pining because he wasn't the kind of boy to pine. That was more his younger brother's style. Cameron had never had a lack of ladies and he didn't expect it would happen anytime soon. "It's called a birthday surprise," he told her as pushed her towards the hall. She allowed him to and turned to look over at Jake and Carver who were doing their best to listen but not make it especially obvious.

"See ya."

Wit that, Lauren was gone, making her way outside to wait for Cameron. All three boys watched her go. You didn't have to love the girl to watch her go. It was more like a reflex. Cameron turned to face the two younger boys who were still sitting at the kitchen table, his eyes landing on Carver. They hadn't gotten off to the best start, but his parents had said something about making the guy feel at home and though Cameron wasn't planning to go out of his way to do anything, he didn't have to be a jackass to Carver.

"Hey, uh, look…I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't know anything about this whole thing so I'm sorry that I was a jackass."

Carver was surprised by the comments. Not only because Cameron had been so unfriendly to him before but because the guy didn't look completely earnest with his apology. There's was no need to create a rift there though and Carver wasn't looking for trouble…or at least he was trying not to look for it. He offered a small smile to Cameron only replying, "It's cool. No big deal." Apparently, this was enough for Cameron who turned and walked out of the kitchen, leaving Jake and Carver alone, the last two breakfasting members of the household. Jake turned to Carver who grabbed a bagel from the few on the kitchen table. Without another moment of thought, he spoke, ready to play tour guide to the new kid.

"Let's hit the boardwalk."


	8. On a Sunny Autumn Day

**On a Sunny Autumn Day **

"So then what kind of music do you listen to?"

Carver looked up from the cd collection before him as he heard Jake's voice. He shrugged. "I don't know. I mean some old stuff. Simple stuff. I'm not really big into music." It was true. He had never really been one of those people who retreated into their world of music. He liked it but he didn't really care what he was listening to as long as it wasn't some annoying pop band singing about puppy love.

"So when you say simple…you mean what? Beach Boys? Beatles? Mr. Rodgers?" Jake asked. He could not believe Carver was so uncultured. First the guy didn't know about the greatest indie flicks of all time and now he didn't seem to care about music. Jake had a lot to teach this kid though the idea of being a teacher kind of thrilled him.

"I meant more like Metallica…Filter…Train." Jake tried to stop himself from making a face but was only partly successful. Carver gave him a look. "What? It's not too bad," he replied as he studied the cd cover in front of him. It was some sort of abstract art which wasn't even that good. Carver could've done a much better cover design, but then again he had an artist's eye so who was he to judge. Jake walked down the aisles, in the music store the two boys stood in, towards Carver. The music store was one that he had found on the boardwalk and grown to love. It was run by this guy who went by the name of 'Jones' and didn't really seem to have a history. But Jake liked him anyway. He was this crazy old music freak guy. He was by far one of the coolest people in Sherman Oaks.

"I need to educate you, my friend. And fast because if I don't get chopping, you're going to end up like Cameron. I'm telling you, the music he blasts from his room makes me want to kill myself…and not in a good 'Cat Power' emo way." Carver couldn't help but laugh to himself. Jake definitely had a way with words. That was for sure. He continued to study the cd cover, but was surprised b a female voice behind him.

"You want to buy that?"

Carver turned to see a short skinny dark haired girl with pale skin and dark eye makeup. She wore jeans, black vans, and simple sweatshirt, her hair pulled back into a tight ponytail with streaks of red. She definitely didn't look like most of the girls he'd seen so far in Sherman Oaks. It took him a minute to respond as he was pretty surprised by her look. "Uh no. I was just looking at the cover," he finally said, finding the few words he was looking for.

"Yeah. Pretty lame." The girl gave him a small smirk but nothing too outrageous. He liked it. It was subtle. Soon Jake came up to stand next to the two, a few cds resting in his hands. He smiled as he looked between them. "I see you two have met."

"What?"

Jake took the opportunity to introduce them, putting his arm around each of their shoulders. "Carver Michaels, this is Sunny Bishop, the chick I was telling you about. Sunny Bishop, this is Carver Michaels, my new pseudo brother. Not a replacement for Cam, but he's already fitting in pretty well seeing as the kid's from Fresno," Jake announced with a smile. The two eyed each other and exchanged a small smile.

"Hi."

"Hey."

"Wow, you're both such big talker. Me, I'm nothing compared to you two," Jake added, sarcasm oozing from his voice. Sunny cracked a smile as she looked up at Jake. "So what was he saying about me?" Sunny asked, looking towards Carver. Carver opened his mouth to respond but caught a look that Jake shot his way. Maybe the real comments were best left unsaid.

"Something about you being the coolest girl in Sherman Oaks…the only one whose company he was worthy of," he replied, making up an answer on the spot. Sunny smiled at the comment and Jake nodded along as if it were the truth. Sunny extended her hand to Carver which he slowly shook. She eyed him for a moment, trying to see who he really was. Sunny had always been good at reading people which was probably why she didn't hang out with most people in Sherman Oaks. Jake was one of the lucky few. And saying lucky was even saying too much.

"Looks like Jake's already got you covering for him. Isn't that supposed to come two years in the friendship?" she replied as she glanced over at Jake with a raise of her eyebrow. He looked busted for a moment and then put his arm around her shoulders.

"And I also said you were the sunniest girl in all of the Valley which as you can definitely see, Carver, is no joke," Jake replied. Carver looked on at the two friends. It was clear they were close. It kind of reminded Carver of Jasmine. Yet even they were not like Sunny and Jake.

"FYI, Carver, don't ever listen to Jake. He's wrong 99.9 of the time," Sunny said, looking between the two boys before her.

"Yeah but the rare .1 of the time is just plain awesome."

"I gotta get back to inventory. Jones will probably have an aneurysm if I'm not there stacking boxes in like five so I'll check up with you later. Nice to meet you," Sunny replied as she turned her back and looked one last time at Carver. She then grabbed one of the cds out of Jake's hand and continued walking.

"What was that?"

"There's no way I'm letting you buy Less Than Jake. Too much of a bad pun. Don't want to scare your new friend off, now do you?" Sunny replied, a small smirk forming underneath her lips. Wit that, she headed towards the back room, leaving Jake and Carver. Jake turned to look at his friend who was still studying the place where Sunny had previously been.

"So that was my Sunny Bishop."

Carver nodded, looking over at Jake. He had found the girl to be pretty cool. Definitely a Jake kind of girl. They had a good banter going on which even Carver could see. Maybe he was just surprised that they weren't going out though he wouldn't bring it up. "Look, this is a great place and all but I don't really have the money to buy anything…," Carver started, changing the subject. He didn't have much money at all and he wasn't abut to ask Jake for some. No way. Jake started walking towards the counter at the front of the store with Carver trailing behind. "Hey, this is for your music education. I'm paying. And before you give me some really moral speech about me not paying, I'm already going to so save your breath," Jake responded. Carver figured arguing was not going to work especially since Jake would probably win such an argument anyway. He followed Jake to the counter and watched as Jake placed the cds on it and an older man with graying hair and a 'Sex Pistols' t-shirt turned around.

"Morning J. This it?"

"Yeah, Jones. Just buying a few things to educate my musically challenged friend over here."

The older man who Carver by now figured was 'Jones', looked over the cds and rang them up on the cash register. "Stiff Little Fingers, Kinks, and Cat Power…all a fine start to an education," Jones responded, looking down at Carver, who stood there silent unsure of how to respond. The guy kind of freaked him out a little with his messy graying hair and droopy eyes. Clearly he was a friend of Jake's. As Jake whipped out his wallet, Jones threw the cds in a bag and looked over at Jake.

"So you ever gonna actually buy the Bangles record you made me put on hold. For the girl…Autumn…whatever the hell her name is?"

The color in Jake's cheeks instantly reddened. Carver couldn't help but be interested in the comment but let it go for the moment. "Uh yeah, well, we'll see about that, ok, Jones? Ok. Well we still have to head to the Bugar Shack so uh…have fun with inventory and mucho gracias for the musico," Jake replied as he grabbed the bag and walked out of the store at a quicker pace, Carver jogging a bit to catch up with him as they left the store. He kept his gaze on Jake as they walked.

"So who's Autumn?"

Jake clearly didn't want to answer the question which was odd since this was the first time that Carver had seen Jake not want to talk about a subject. "Autumn?"

"Yeah. He just mentioned a girl named Autumn who you put some record on hold for?"

Jake tried to conceal his nervous laughter and handed the bag of cds over to Carver, buying him a teensy bit more time. "Oh, _that_ Autumn! She's just this girl," he responded trying to shrug it off.

"Just this girl?"

"Yep."

"That you put a record on hold for?"

Jake nodded his head at a rapid pace. He realized how fast he was walking and slowed down. The best thing was just to play it off cool. There was no need to tell Carver all the semi-embarrassing details that branded Jake as a real geek. Yeah…didn't want to scare away a possible second friend in Sherman Oaks. "Oh yeah well we've been kind of been on and off for awhile now. She's this real Valley Girl, brown hair, blue eyes, knows she's pretty…she just likes to play me hot and cold," he said, trying to pass off his macho 'I've been around the block a few times if you know what I mean' tone. Carver nodded though he clearly didn't believe a word of Jake's response.

"So you guys are going out.."

"Well, more like…in a holding pattern but you know her birthday is coming up so I figured I'd put the record on hold 'cause we'll probably be back together by then, and you know she's a real big fan of the Bangles. It's weird but every Valley Girl has to have their inner rocker chick," Jake added, feeling better about the whole tone he was trying to play off. The story seemed to actually be making sense and seeming true. It was a first for Jake. He was not a great liar.

"So when's her birthday?"

The question was met with a slight silence as Carver watched Jake look away. "Uh…in…six months." Carver slightly smiled but didn't let Jake see the small smile forming. He knew Jake was making the dating stuff up, but he wouldn't ruin the cred that Jake thought he had established.

"Oh wow. She sounds like a real catch, that Autumn."

With that, the two boys walked off down the boardwalk, towards the Burger Shack, dropping the subject of all things Autumn, Jake, sure that he had gotten away with sounding like a real Sherman Oaks player and Carver, wondering what hold this Autumn girl had over Jake.

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If you're reading this,I would LOVE a review. I really want to know what people think. Do you like Sunny/Jake? Can you not wait to meet Autumn? Do you hate it? LOL.


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